i agree every one will have a diffrent situation and approach what works for me will not work for everyone. great reply axxe.

thank you! i agree. empty nesters, young couple with young children, older couple with older children, apartment or house, city or rural, room layout, just so many different variables to consider. a person could probably write a very large and lengthy book on the subject!

So most people prefer the pistol it seems. With something a little heavier (shotgun or rifle) as backup.
Most of the LEO and prior LEO recommend against house clearing. Completely understandable and agreeable - especially for somebody without training. Though it appears many prior military (including myself) would rather clear the home. Your turf and a fine defense in my opinion.

I would worry about over penitration. Mostly because of the layout of my house. It would have to be an extreme sitatuion for me to reach for the shotgun. You ever shot anything with 00 buck close up? I'm not cleaning that mess up.

I usually have a 1911 or Glock 21 on me or right next to me. At the moment, it is a Glock 23 (I just finished modding and testing it so it has preferred carry status for a few days). My shotgun (M590) is loaded with #4 buck as I have tested it at the range and doubt anything that walks on 2 legs is going to do well against it at 5 yards. Just in case, the last 2 shells in the tube are 00 buck. If that does not solve the problem, there is a AK with a 30 round mag of 7.62x39mm JHP (and two more loaded 30 round mags) next to the shotgun.

I don't load my 590 with 00 buck as the first shells out of the tube as there can be over penetration problems with 00 buck. Also, As JTJ already stated, you definitely need to aim a shotgun when dealing with the distances you are apt to be shooting at in a home defense situation as the pattern is going to be fairly small. At 10 yards, my 590 keeps all of the pellets from either 00 or 000 buck within the 8 ring on a man-sized silhouette target so you definitely cannot just aim in the general direction, pull the trigger and expect it to do much good. If you use Federal's tactical shotgun ammo with the flight control wad, you can usually expect the pattern to be really small - probably well within the 9 ring, or just one large ragged hole in the 10 ring at 10 yards with 00 buck - their flight control wad is fairly amazing.

I would worry about over penitration. Mostly because of the layout of my house. It would have to be an extreme sitatuion for me to reach for the shotgun. You ever shot anything with 00 buck close up? I'm not cleaning that mess up.

I'd agree and that's why I don't load mine with 00 buck. I know this argument rages on, but I use #4 birdshot. People argue that it's not enough, but Gunblast has a nice Youtube video showing what #4 birdshot will do at 7 yards to a rack of ribs and what I think was a bone in ham.

If awoken and suspicious of possible intruder, first grab for gun(s), then assess situation. Stay still and listen for noises and look for flashlighs under door. If still suspicious make a ruckus getting out of bed with guns and grab phone. Loudly dial 911, saying outloud as I dial "9" "1" "1". Reassess, this should've cause some comotion if there were BGs in the home. If still experiencing questionable noises, place actual call, speak to emergency operator the address clearly, and situation, repeat, then hang up. Rack the shotgun I just bought because of you guys and reassess. If it sounds like someone is trying to evade with my stuff, you damn skippy I'm going to confront them. As long as they remain in the house they're mine, damn the consequences. I don't value this sorry excuse for living enough to let scuzbuckets get away with being pieces of sh1t. I would considered myself lucky to've been able to take even 1 slimeball with me if I do go and I'd ride his hairy arse all the way to hell where he'd be my pineapple juice sippin' beotch!

When I'm awake and moving around in the house I keep a gun on my person, usually a Ruger P345, with 4.25" barrel. When I go to bed, I have a Taurus PT-145 in bed with me (no, there's no hair around the muzzle), and a Mossberg 500 12 ga pump with an 18.5" barrel standing in the corner by my bed. If a perp gets in my bedroom and I am lucky enough to wake up, I can use the PT-145 in 2 seconds. If I hear somebody break into another room, I'll go to the hallway with my Mossberg.
I don't claim to be an expert, this is just what I do.
The reasons for the PT-145 are that it's OAL is 6.1" with 3.25" barrel, and about 1.25" forward of the trigger guard, which would make it pretty difficult for a perp to grab it away from me. It has matte stainless slide and polymer frame for low visibility. It's a .45 acp with 10+1 capacity. And it does not have an exposed hammer, thus avoiding negligent discharge accusations.
The reason for the 18.5" Mossberg is the weight and balance is pretty good, so it's not too bad to hold for a long while if necessary. And it is short enough for a fairly close encounter. And it is a 12 ga loaded with 00 buck.
Oh, and I live in a hilly subdivision with a lot of space between houses, so I don't have too much worry about hitting a neighbor's house.